


Life in a Small Town

by taibhrigh



Category: RED (2010)
Genre: Community: smallfandomfest, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 23:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taibhrigh/pseuds/taibhrigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William Cooper knows something is wrong but can't quite put his finger on it and calls in reinforcements.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life in a Small Town

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to [Ex-enemies Can Make the Best Friends](http://archiveofourown.org/works/285250).
> 
> Thanks to [siluria](http://archiveofourown.org/users/siluria) for the beta.
> 
> This was written for smallfandomfest #13 on LJ.

~~~***~~~

William Cooper knew something wasn't right. He could feel it. Years in the Marines and then the CIA told him something was wrong and it had nothing to do with all the RED--retired, extremely dangerous--agents that visited the small town he called home. The problem was, he couldn't put his finger on what was causing this particular feeling. He glanced around the town where he was called Sheriff one more time before heading into his Office.

He had never thought he'd _retire_ to a small town and take the job of town sheriff, but after the CIA had tried to kill his family--had succeeded in killing his wife and traumatizing his children--he'd taken the out that Victoria Winslow had offered. His children were spending the afternoon with their _Aunt Victoria_ out at the Eagle's Nest B &B, so the one thing he did know was that the itch of something wrong did not involve them.

Will pulled his cellphone off his belt and punched a number on his speed dial. The phone only rang twice before it was picked up. He didn't even give a polite greeting just asked, "How soon can you get here?"

"Problem?"

"I don't know," Will answered honestly.

The silence lasted a second before the person on the other end asked, "Kids?"

"With Victoria for the day."

"I'll be there in the morning."

Will wasn't one for sighing in relief but having Frank around might ease whatever it was he was sensing. He was also hoping the other man could find the cause of his unease.

In the last few years while the town had managed to keep its small town charm it had started hosting a few more yearly events to draw in tourism and money. This year they had added a running weekend to the town's Spring Events. The area was perfect for a foot race--light traffic patterns, newly paved roads that were lined with trees and perfect weather. But in the last few days the number of people in the town had almost tripled and the races didn't start for another three days.

There was something here and Will knew he wasn't seeing it and it was pissing him off. That's why he'd finally broken down and called Frank Moses. The older man had just that little bit more experience and Will was hoping Frank would instantly spot whatever it was he was sensing. Also, it would be good to see the other former agent again. His kids, Andrew and Sophie, would be happy to see their Uncle Frank as it had been nearly four months since Frank had come to town to visit.

~~~***~~~

Will should have been surprised the next morning, but wasn't, when he found Frank sitting at his kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee before the sun had even risen. "Thought you'd be here later," he said, getting his own cup of coffee.

"Been in town a few hours," Frank answered.

As a former CIA agent Will should have also been worried that Frank had managed to get into his house, make coffee, and pop the breakfast casserole that Victoria had sent home with his kids the night before into the oven all without waking him. Granted Frank had a key to his house, and for someone who was supposed to be retired because he was too old to do the job Frank was probably the most dangerous and quietest person--when he wanted to be--Will actually knew. 

Will heard an alarm clock go off followed by a thumping noise from upstairs and knew his son was up and digging around in his closest. Five minutes later both his children were downstairs and giving Frank a hug before running out the door. "They'll be back in about forty-minutes," he said, sitting down at the table across from Frank. The casserole would be out of the oven in thirty so that would work perfectly.

"They both look well," Frank told him.

He nodded. It had been a long road to recovery but in the last year both his children had seemed to settle. They still missed their mother, they still had nightmares, but they were both attempting to be normal kids. Will knew that his daughter was responsible for pulling Andrew back out of his shell, and that Andrew was helping her stay on the path she had chosen.

Four months ago Sophie had seen _A Dolphin's Tale_ and then _Soul Surfer_ , but Will still thought the Olympics had been what spurred her on when she'd asked for one of the running blades. The first month was rough and Sophie had gotten frustrated but she hadn't quit. It helped that Andrew ran with her. They were both going to run in the 5k the day before the big race.

"It's good for her," Frank said as if reading his worry. "It's good for both of them."

Will gave a sharp nod of agreement and returned to his coffee. He knew Frank enjoyed his status as _uncle_ but like with Victoria it wasn't discussed.

"You think someone is coming for you?"

Will shook his head, eyes focused on the cup in his hand. "No," he answered honestly. "This is different. Like I'm being watched but not me specifically, if that makes any sense."

"Like a town sheriff and not an ex-CIA wet works expert?"

Will thought about that for a moment. "Maybe," he answered. The town's biggest issues were petty crimes of theft and bad driving during tourist season. In off season it was generally screaming matches between neighbors that were settled before the weekend cookout. It's why every now and then he had to get out and stretch his skills by taking a job for Victoria, often working with Frank on them. Small town life, while good for his children, was a little boring sometimes.

"It's not like we have much to steal here," Will added. "You worked the last autumn fair." The big excitement there had been the crate of stuffed animals going up in a fiery blaze when someone had accidently tossed their lit cigarette into the crate. There had also been a small group who broke into the ping pong ball toss to free the goldfish.

Frank got up and pulled plates out of the cabinets and Will tried not to laugh because he still remembered Frank's expression when they caught the 'Free The Goldfish' group.

"Let's see what happens when we toss in a new Deputy a day before the big event starts."

~~~***~~~

Nothing happened the entire day as Frank walked along the streets in his brown Deputy's jacket with a badge and a gun on his hip. At least not an actual crime, but by the time Will met up with Frank for dinner the RED agent was feeling it too.

"Have you told Victoria?" Frank asked as soon as Andrew and Sophie had left the dining room.

Will gave Frank a look that clearly meant the older man was crazy if he thought he hadn't told Victoria yet. "Yeah, okay, never mind," Frank said.

"So obviously you sense it too?"

There wasn't much in town to steal. The town was almost two hundred years old so there had been a rash of cemetery break ins before Will had taken over as Sheriff, but those has been all down to local kids and everything had been returned, including the sword and medals that had been sold on eBay. There were two banks, only one had safe deposit boxes. There was a post office and a store called The Shipping Box which handled the town's UPS and FedEx deliveries. Plus a Starbucks that looked like it had always been between the old hardware store and the craft shop. There was a renovated four screen cinema, but like the coffee shop its exterior blended in with the rest of the town. What the town had a lot of were Bed and Breakfasts and antique stores. Neither of which really had anything truly worth robbing a store for. There could be someone staying at one worth killing but that wasn't the vibe that either ex-CIA agent was getting.

The race had several promoters and there was a big charity fundraising event, but Will had made sure that their tent was off to the side with a building behind it, a wall to one side and one of the radio crews that was here to cover the event parked next to it.

"Oh god," he questioned. "Do you think it's an old fashioned bank robbery? Here?"

Frank's laugh didn't make him feel better.

~~~***~~~

The first day of the event went without a hitch. Will didn't change the schedule of his other two deputies. He left them patrolling the tents. The county cops would be handling the road closures tomorrow but the 5k hadn't required them.

He'd let himself relax only while he watched the 5k from the roof of the Sheriff's office, quietly cheering on his kids as they passed the second mile marker. He made sure he was back down on street level when his son and daughter crossed the finish line a few seconds after the thirty-seven minute mark. His children were all smiles and he let the happiness and pride spread to his own face as he hugged them both. They were quick to collect their participation medals because Victoria had promised them homemade apple cinnamon pancakes.

"Change it up for tomorrow?" Frank asked once breakfast was finished.

"I will be in town," Victoria advised them, walking back towards her kitchen. "I will watch over the children."

"I sometimes think she's referring to me when she says that," Will muttered.

Frank chuckled. "Oh, she is," agreeing with Will's assessment.

Will shook his head but offered Victoria a _thank you_ when she handed him a brown bag lunch and a thermos of coffee when she returned from the kitchen. 

"Time for you boys to go back to work," she said with a pointed stare.

"Yes, ma'am." Will said.

The rest of the day was quiet and made Will even more suspicious.

~~~***~~~

The race did not officially start until six-thirty but by a quarter to five that morning there wasn't even standing room on Main Street. The race would begin and end in front of the town's central park and lap 26.2 miles around the county.

Both he and Frank figured whatever was going to happen would be at the start of the race or closer to when the runners returned, because that was when most people would be focused on the events at the park.

At half past nine an alarm sounded in the one bank. That happened to be the bank manager's assistant accidently hitting the switch with her foot while the manager of the bank had her over his desk. She wouldn't have hit the switch had the couple not been startled by the bank manager's wife. While Will did have to break up a fight and send the manager to the hospital with a letter opener in his upper thigh--his wife having apparently missed what she'd been aiming for--there had been no robbery.

Not an hour later Frank came over the radio with, "The silent alarm is going off at the Post Office. I'll handle that." It wasn't another affair going sideways, but three stray cats and a squirrel.

"I almost feel like I'm in a comedy," Will groaned out when both he and Frank arrived at the next call. Together they agreed that they would never mention it to anyone.

The first of the runners started to cross the finish line when the alarm in the store next to The Shipping Box went off. Will just wanted to ignore it. It was on the other side of town and nowhere near where the runners would now pass. The problem was, the other bank was just two store fronts past The Shipping Box.

When the first bullet hit the hood of his Sheriff's jeep he sighed. 

"Guess we found them," Frank told him, getting out of the jeep before it had fully come to a stop. It was a skill Will was a little envious about because he just couldn't do it, not while driving at least.

The question was what the hell were the robbers doing in the Blowing Glass, a local store that still hand blew all the items. The store had a large following and did exceptionally well but kept very little cash on hand.

"Is that a jackhammer?" Frank asked and Will could hear the same kind of buzzing noise.

"What the hell?" he said, staying behind the now stationary jeep. Another two rounds hit the side of his jeep and he growled. It had been new and taken the city council a year to agree to purchase a new vehicle that wasn't twenty years old. 

Frank leaned against the other tire and looked his way. "You think there's anything under that store?"

"No."

"Then not professionals? You think they're tunneling into the bank or the shipping store?"

Will sighed. "Idiots."

That it explained it all. Why neither he nor Frank could pinpoint what was making them feel uneasy. Professionals they were accustomed to, idiots not so much.

The windows in the Blowing Glass, The Shipping Box, and the bank all shattered.

"Can I just shoot them and get this over with," Frank asked and Will could tell by how he sounded that Frank was just as irritated as he was in having to deal with non-professionals.

"Boys!" Victoria's voice rang over the sudden quiet. "Would you like to come put cuffs on these hoodlums?"

Will glanced over the hood of his jeep at the same time as Frank. "Son of a bitch," they both said in unison.

"I thought she was watching the children," Frank muttered, standing up and holstering his gun.

Will laughed and followed suit. "She is, us apparently."

"Fuck," Frank said under his breath and Will laughed even harder.

His two-cell Sheriff's station was now full. Overly so. Mrs. Branson was in the first cell alone, assault with a letter opener even though her husband wasn't going to press charges she was still waiting to go to county lockup. The other cell held four guys in their twenties. Four guys who thought they could tunnel into The Shipping Box, and not the bank, for their shipment of drugs--five kilos--that had been misaddressed. They had apparently been planning their little escapade for the last week, half of which they'd spent doped to high heavens.

The weirdest thing of it all, they could have just walked into The Shipping Box and claimed their package, after all it was actually addressed to one of them and another of them had the shipping label receipt. But a drug high and a marathon of heist movies had the would-be thieves taking the hard way around.

Other than that one little incident the race went off without a hitch, and three days later the town was back to being a happy little, laid back town. Frank hadn't stopped laughing. Neither had Victoria, but she was at least polite enough to just smirk when others were around.

"Thanks for coming," Will said, passing Frank a cup of coffee. "If you do ever decide to actually retire," he left the rest unsaid knowing Frank would understand the offer.

"I've tried it once before," Frank reminded him.

Will snorted. "I think this time it might be different."

This time Frank snorted but didn't disagree. 

"Dinner?"

"Diner?" Frank countered. 

Will smiled. They had the best sundaes, and his children were coming up the sidewalk toward them. "Sure," he agreed.

Life in a small town was never truly dull.

**~end~**


End file.
